Sight fob firearms



E. F. WATSON. SIGHT FOR FIREARMS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30. 198.

* Patented Julie 24, 1919.

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E. F: WATSON. slGHlTfFoRi- TfgfAn/ss. APPLICATION FILD MAR. so. 1918.

Patented June 24, 1919.

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f @JZ @la 3f g3 95 i O '86 EARLE F. WATSON, 0F DUMONT, NEW JERSEY.

SIGHT FOR FIREARMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 24, 1919.

Application filed March 30, 1918. Serial No. 225,612.

To all whom it 1n my concern:

Be it known that I, EARLE F. WATSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Dumont, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sights forFirearms, of which the following is a specification.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a new and improvedfirearm sight adapted for use in the dark. Another 0bject of myinvention is to provide an improved self luminous sight for firearms.Still another object of my invention is to provide sights that areluminous and readily attachable to the ordinary day sights so that theycan be attached or removed as there may be occasion. These and otherobjects of my invention will be made apparent in the followingspecifications and claims taken with the accompanying drawings in whichI have disclosed several specific embodiments of my invention. It willbe understood that modifications may be made falling within the scope ofthe invention.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a sporting rifle equipped with myimproved sights;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section of the rear sight;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the rear sight;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a front day sight showing my improvednight sight in section in position in readiness for applica.` tion tothe day sight;

Fig. 5 is a cross-section of the front sight shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of another form of day sight with my improvedattachment in position to be applied thereto;

Fig. 7 is a section viewed in the same direction as that for Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a rear elevation of the saine parts;

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of another form of front sight;

Fig. 10 is a rear elevation of the same;

Fig. 11 is a side elevation of a United States rifle, model 1917equipped with my improved attachments;

Fig. 12 is a side elevation of the rear sight with my improvementapplied thereto;

Fig. 13 is a rear elevation of the same;

Fig. 14 is a longitudinal section of the same when folded forward;

Fig. 15 is a side elevation of the front sight with the attachment inposition to be applied thereto, the attachment being shown in section;

Fig. 16 is a rear elevation of the front sight with my attachmentapplied thereto;

Fig. 17 shows a modified front sight attachment with clamping means;

Fig. 18 shows a cross-section of the same;

Fig. 19 is a side elevation of another form of folding rear sightequipped with my improved attachment;

Fig. 20 is a section of the attachment;

Fig. 21 is a rear elevation of the attachment, and

Fig. 22 is a rear elevation of the same attachment as it appears whenthe sight is folded forward.

I now proceed to a description of the specific embodiments of myinvention shown in these drawings.

The gun 31 shown in Fig. 1 is equipped with an ordinary rear sight 34having a peep hole 35. This is the complete rear sight equipment for daytime use. For night service the attachment 32 may be applied. Thisattachment 32 consists of a tubular stem 36 screw-threaded at 37 toengage the sight 34. At the rear a disk or a flanged cup 39 is formedopening at its center into the hole 38, coaxial with the hole 35.Concentric with this axis within the disk or cup 39 is a ring of radioactive material 40.

The day time front sight consists of a blade 41 carrying a littlecylindrical enlargement 42 at its upper end with a bead 43 at t-he endthereof. The attachment 33 for night service consists of a little tube44 slotted at 46 so that its interior 45 can be slipped around the bead43. The edges of the slot 46 tightly engage the blade 41, the wall ofthe tube 44 having sufficient spring to facilitate this. At its endtoward the operator the attachment 44 has a little pocket in which isplaced a small quantity of radio active material 47.

Q i "P In sighting through the hole 38 the operator will readily see theradio active material 47 in the dark and he will readily center thiswith respect to the ring of light 40 so that the operation of sightingwill be very similar to that of ordinary day time sighting with a ringfor the rear sight and a bead for the front sight.

Both front and rear sights 33 and 32 are quickly and readily detachableor attachable. They are capableof use in day time sighting so that in acondition of twilight they are not objectionable and may beadvantageous. For full daylight they are unnecessary and may be removed.

Referring to Figs. 6, 7 and 8, the folding rear sight 58 with its hole59 is carried on the stem 57 pivoted to the member 56 which is securedto the gun stock 55. The night attachment consists of a metal plate 60with a central hole 6l and with spring wings 63 on either side adaptedfirmly to engage the day sight 58. Around the hole 61 are symmetricallyspaced pits 62 filled with radio active material. Looking through thehole 61 at night the operator sees the front sight and naturally andeasily centers it with respect to the luminous spots 62 on the rearsight.

The front sight shown in Figs. 9 and 10 comprises a blade 48 carrying acylindrical enlargement 49 at the top and a bead 49 at the end towardthe operator which serves as the front sight for day service. On the endtoward the operator there is a folding sight 50 having a pivot 5l heldby leaf springs At the top is the cup 53 lled with radio active material54 on the side toward the operator. This night attachment is shown inFig. 9 in operative position, but in the day time'it can be turned down90, that is to the left as viewed in Fig. 9, so as to be entirely out ofview and leaving the day sight 49 to be used.

The military rifle 64 shown in Fig. 11 has a folding rear sight 65 witha vertically adjustable peep hole member 71. Also, this sight comprisesanother day time peep hole which comes in service when the sight as awhole is folded down forward as shown in Fig. 14. For night service theplate 72 may be attached. This has spring wings 73 which crowd firmly onthe sides of the frame 67 and has a peep hole 74 surrounded by aconcentric ring 75 of radio active mate rial. The folding sight 65 ispivoted at 68 and is held in either vertical or horizontal position bythe leaf springs 69. When folded down forward it lies between the guards76 and at this time the attachment 72 may remain and permit use of thesight 70.

The mode of operation of the attachment with the peep hole 74 and theself luminous material 75 will be apparent in view of the foregoingdescription of other modifications.

Thefront sight 66 consists of a blade 78 between the guards 77. Thenight attachment 79 has a slot 80 that lits firmly on the blade 78 andcarries a depression 81 at the end toward the operator which is filledwith radio active material.

In the modifie. tion shown in Figs. 17 and 18, the day sight 82 and thenight attachment 83 are similar to those shown in Figs. 15 and 16, butin addition a clamping rew 86 is provided, by which the sides of theslot 84 may be drawn with even greater firmness against the blade 82 ifthat should be thought desirable. The depression 85 is filled with radioactive material the same as for Fig. 15.

The rear sight 88 shown in Fig. 19 is pivoted at 87 and carries avertically adjustable peep hole member 89 for day time service. Myattachment is shown at 90 and consists of a metal plate with the springwingsw91 engaging the frame 88. The peep hole 92 is surrounded by thering 93 of radio active material. At the top (when the sight stands upas in Fig. 19) the end of the plate 90 is bent back at 94 and notched atthe middle at 95. On each side of this notch 95 is a depression 96filled with radio active material. Then the sight is folded down it willbe viewed by the operator of the lirearm as shown in Fig. 22, that islooking in the directiomof the arrow 97 in Fig. 19, and the operatorwill see the two luminous spots 96 and will readily position the frontsight midway on a line joining the two spots 96, which will befacilitated by the notch 95.

The luminous elements of the front and rear sights may be made ofdifferent colors to aid the eye in quickly getting the proper alinement.If the rear sight is of the specific Variety shown in Fig. 22 and if thespots 96 differ in color from the front sight, then the operator can besure to get the front sight between the two spots 96 constituting therear sight. A

It will be seen that I have provided self luminous front and rear sightsthat are eX- ceedingly simple and rugged in construction, that may bereadily attached to the day sights or detachable therefrom as occasionrequires and that provide a spot of light for the front sight to becentered with respect to symmetrically disposed sources of lightconstituting the rear sight.

l. In combination, a firearm, front and rear day sights therefor, andrespective attachments to serve as night sights, the front attachmentcomprising a single compact mass of self luminous material t-o serve asthe essential visible element thereof, and the rear attachmentcomprising radio active self luminous material symmetrically disposedwith respect to the line of sight determined by said front night sightattachment, each lll) attachment having a spring clip element adaptedfor securing it in place on the firearm by a mere push and by frictionalengagement only and adapted for disengaging it from the firearm andremoving it by'an opposite pull.

2. In combination, a firearm and front and rear sights therefor, thefront sight comprising a compact mass of self luminous material and therear sight comprising self luminous material of a different color.

3. In combination, a firearm, a front day sight, a rear day sight, adisplaceable front night sightcomprising a compact mass of self luminousradio active material, and a displaceable rear night sight having anopening and adapted to be adjusted to bring this opening across the sameline of sight determined by said displaceable front night sight andhaving self luminous radio active material symmetrically distributedaround said opening, both said night sights being displaceable away fromsaid line of sight to facllitate ordinary use of the day sights.

4. In combination, a fire-arm, a vertical frame near the breech, anadjustable day sight on said frame, a detachable plate on the sameframe, said plate having a sight hole therethrough, and radio activeself luminous material symmetrically disposed on said plate around saidhole.

5. In combination, a fire-arm, a vertical frame near the breech, a platehaving means detachably engaging said frame, said plate having a sighthole therethrough, and radio active self luminous material symmetricallydisposed on said plate around said hole.

6. In combination, a fire-arm, a v.folding frame near the breech adaptedto lie down or to stand up vertically in operative position, anadjustable sliding day sight on said frame, a plate having meansdetachably to engage the frame below the day sight When the latter ismoved up, said plate having a sight hole therethrough, and radio activeself luminous material symmetrically disposed on said plate around saidhole.

7. In combination, a fire arm, a folding frame near the breech adaptedto lie down or to stand up vertically in operative position, anadjustable sliding day sight on said frame, a plate having its edgesturned to form clips yieldingly to clamp the frame below the day sightWhen the latter is moved up, said plate having a sight holetherethrough, and radio active self luminous material symmetricallydisposed on said plate around said hole.

8. In combination a firearm, a front blade day sight and a night sighthaving a slot adapted firmly but detachably to engage said day sight andhaving a recess toward the operator With radio active self luminousmaterial therein.

9. In combination, a firearm, a front blade sight and a rear foldingframe sight both for day use, a front night sight having a slot to clampon said front day sight and having a. mass of self luminous radio activematerial toward the rear sight, and a rear night sight consisting of aplate With a sight opening and means detachably to engage said rear daysight and having self luminous radio active material symmetricallydisposed around said opening.

10. In combination, a firearm, a folding frame near the breech adaptedto lie down or stand up vertically in operative position, an adjustablesliding day sight on said frame, a plate having means detachably toengage the frame at a different height from said day sight, said platehaving a sight hole therethrough and radio active self luminous materialsymmetrically disposed on said plate around said hole.

EARLE F. WATSGN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

